Sonic Sundays | Juls

Juls
Image | Lofcollective, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Juls is a British-Ghanaian producer and a ubiquitous presence in the contemporary Afropop music scene. Born Julian Nicco-Annan in Hackney, East London, he grew up between England and Ghana, exposed to music through his parents and his upbringing.

Although he has both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Finance, Juls decided to produce music full-time, and since coming onto the scene, he has made his mark on the industry. Juls produced a few songs—including “Bankulize,” “Skintight,” and “Hollup”—that propelled Nigerian singer Mr Eazi to fame, and from there he started on his own solo projects. He attributes much of his artistic development to his girlfriend, who gave him suggestions and encouraged him to pursue music.

As a Ghanaian, Juls is adamant that people realize that while Nigerian and particularly Nigerian-British Afropop artists are often the most well-known, Afropop’s influences come from all over the continent. He himself is interested in creating sounds that are pan-African, spanning the continent and diaspora, particularly Jamaican and Caribbean music.

Juls has produced songs for such well-known musicians as Burna Boy, Masego, and Gold Link, but his own albums, called Leap of Faith and Colour, and EPs are full of gems as well. You can recognize his work right away by the soft female voice saying “Juls Baby” usually at the beginning of his songs. He is part of the increasing presence of African music and influence in pop music and pop culture internationally. That popularity is in part thanks to artists from the diaspora like Juls. And he doesn’t plan on going anywhere, so keep an eye out for Juls’s mark on the music industry in the future.

“Agoro” is filmed in Juls’s grandfather’s hometown of Gbese, Ghana, and includes features from popular Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold and Ghanaian artist Bisa Kdei. “Mmayewa,” with Ghanaian artists Twitch 4 Eva and Quamina MP, is an upbeat track guaranteed to make you feel good. I’ve included the dance video, which features a host of talented dancers. The video for “Nyafu Riddim” with singer Worlasi, also from Ghana, is all shot in the Jamestown area of Accra, the capital of Ghana. Lastly, I’ve attached a video of Juls at work, which showcases an hour of the songs he’s produced with a wide range of singers.

“Agoro” feat. Adekunle Gold & Bisa Kdei

”Mmayewa” feat. Twitch 4 Eva & Quamina MP

“Nyafu Riddim” feat. Worlasi

Juls Unplugged Session